Invisible
by HeroinHuntress
Summary: Krysten Carter lives alone with her sickly mother in Faucet City. After her mother's death, Krysten goes to Central City to find her best friend Iris. Krysten falls for Barry, but Barry is too wrapped up in Iris. Will Krysten ever confess her feelings for Barry? What will happen after she meets The Flash? Rated M for mature language and sexual content.
1. Episode 1: Pilot

**A/N: **With the amazing response I got from my readers and friends, I've decided to write this! Just like with SBT, I LOVE suggestions and requests! Don't be afraid to request anything. I will do what I can and try to update quickly! Thanks for reading!

_**Episode One: Pilot**_

Krysten sighed, opening yet another box. They hadn't unpacked completely since moving to Faucet City a year ago, and it had been bugging Krysten ever since. She wanted to settle down in their quant little apartment. Not just exist. Inside the medium sized card board box were picture frames. Pictures of when she was just a little girl, growing up in Central City. Pictures of before her father left her and her mother for another woman. It was stupid, but Krysten still wondered what was wrong with her to make him leave.

As if it were her fault her father left. She'd felt as if it were ever since he never came home from work eight years ago. Suddenly, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket and she sighed. She answered, "Hello?"

"_Hello, I am looking for Krysten Carter_," a woman on the other end asked.

"This is she," Krysten said.

"_I regret to inform you that your mother, Louise Carter, has passed_," the woman said.

"What? No, the doctors said she had six months," Krysten covered her mouth with her free hand, a sharp pain shooting through her chest. Tears prickled her eyes and she squeezed them shut. _No, this can't be happening to me_, Krysten thought. _Not again_. "_I'm very sorry_," the woman said. Krysten quickly hung up the phone, completely devastated. She dropped the cell phone and fell to her knees, sobbing. She knew her mother's life was short. And it would have to come to an end sometime.

But she hadn't expected it so soon. Ironically, rain began pelting the window behind her. Several hours later, after the crying had slowed enough, she called her Aunt Maggie—her mother's sister. She broke the news to Maggie and they cried together on the phone. "_I'll be there soon_," Maggie said.

"How? You don't have money to." Krysten shook her head, knowing her Aunt's financial situation.

"_I'll make money_," Maggie assured. "_I'll be there by train, okay_?"

"Okay," Krysten said.

"_Where will you stay until I can be there_?" Maggie asked. Krysten's face fell. It dawned on her then that she wouldn't be able to pay this month's rent. She couldn't pay any rent anywhere without a job. She had to quit working to take care of her mother full-time. They had lived off of her mother's VA benefits, but now that she was gone….

Krysten sucked in a shaky breath. "I'll stay with Iris, in Central City. I know she'll let me stay with them for a few days," she said, her voice trembling.

"_Will you be alright on your own_?" Maggie asked.

"Yeah, Maggs, I'll be fine. Don't worry," Krysten said, sniffling.

"_Okay. I'll be there as soon as I can. Talk to you then_," Maggie said.

"Bye," Krysten hung up the phone and pulled her knees to her chest. She hadn't spoken to Iris in over a year. Would Iris even let her in the door? She didn't know. But she had to try. So she wiped her eyes and peeled herself up off the floor. The daunting task of packing everything was awaiting her. In the end, she decided to take what money she had and then buy a train ticket to Central City with the necessities. And so she did. She hurried into her room and she packed up some clothes and her bathroom supplies in a duffel bag.

She figured the faster she got out of town, the faster the pain would go away. Whether that was true or not, she didn't know. But it was worth a shot. She changed clothes, out of the pajamas she hadn't changed out of yet. She put on jeans, a black Doctor Who T-shirt, a deep red jacket, and a brown scarf. She pulled on her black sneakers and grabbed her duffel bag off the bed, then, swinging it on her shoulder, walked into the living room. She pulled her hair into a pony tail and stepped outside.

It was now night. Eight O'clock. She sighed, locking up the apartment, then started walking down the sidewalk. She knew that the last train leaves the Faucet City station at ten. So she would have to get to the station and book a seat on a train leaving for Central before nine—the usual cut-off time for buying tickets.

She walked into the bustling train station building and breathed out her nose. She walked to the counter and the woman sitting behind it smiled at her. "Hello Miss. What can I do for you today?" the woman said, with an accent that was undeniably British.

"Hi. Um, I need one ticket for Central City," Krysten said, a bit timidly.

"Alright. One-way or round trip?" the woman asked.

"One-way, please," Krysten answered. The woman typed it her computer, then the printer next to her clicked and roared to life. "That'll be twenty dollars," the woman said. A paper printed out and the woman grabbed it off the tray. The woman cut the ticket off of the paper side and handed it to Krysten, along with a ticket sleeve. Krysten handed the woman the money from her wallet and the woman smiled again. "Have a good trip," she said. "The bay is to the right, through the third door; your train will arrive in twenty minutes."

"Thanks," Krysten said, before turning away from the counter. Krysten went through the door and found herself out the backside of the train station, where a train was just departing. The bay stopped at the door Krysten had just come from and it stretched to the right along the whole side of the building. It was completely outside except for an arch above the bay to keep the waiting patrons dry. Krysten sat on a bench as the train left the station.

There was only one other person in the bay waiting for a train, a blonde woman with a dress length coat and high heels with only one rolling suitcase. Krysten sighed and pulled her iPod out of her duffel bag. She popped in her ear buds and turned Ed Sheeran on. "Don't" was her new favorite song. She leaned her forearms on her knees and hung her head, staring at the floor. Suddenly, a shadow flashed and a pair of red high heels was in front of her. She quickly sat up and pulled out an ear bud. The blonde woman was standing in front of her, and she had obviously been trying to get Krysten's attention.

"Sorry," Krysten said. "Ear buds." Krysten held up one ear bud momentarily. The woman nodded with a small smile. "Right, um, could I borrow your cell phone? Mine died and I'm waiting on an important call," the woman said.

"Oh, sure," Krysten dug her cell phone out of her pocket and gave it to the woman. "Thanks," the woman said. She stepped away just as the train arrived. The train halted in the station and the doors slid open. Krysten grabbed her duffel off the floor and hurried into the car. It was empty except for one seat near the far end of the car, where a young-looking man sat. Krysten wasn't much for conversation so she tried her bets to sit in the center of the car. As the doors closed and the train began to move, she remembered she'd lent her cell phone.

But by that time, it was too late. She sighed in annoyance and slumped into her seat. She shook her head at her stupid self and pulled her duffel bag closer to her feet. She turned to her iPod, and starting looking for something to listen to. Just then, the man that was sitting at the back of the train car sat in the seat in front of her. Krysten glanced up from her iPod and raised an eyebrow curiously. "Hi," the man said.

"Hi," Krysten said. She sat up straighter, not knowing exactly what the guy wanted from her. He could be a serial killer for all she knew. Or a rapist. Both were disgusting to her. I mean, the man was cute. But he could be dangerous. "I hope you don't mind," he said. "The air conditioner is right above my seat." _Lame excuse_, she thought. _This can't be good_. She nodded slowly, with a small smile.

"I'm Cisco," he said, quickly out-stretching a hand.

"Krysten," she said, shaking his hand.

"What brings you to Central City?" he asked, as Krysten pulled her hand back.

"Oh, I'm just visiting a friend. What about you?" Krysten said.

"I work at Star Labs," Cisco said. Krysten furrowed her brow in confusion. "I thought Star Labs closed down after the Particle Accelerator was fried?" Krysten said, loosely crossing her arms.

"Yeah, well," he looked flustered, and it only made Krysten more curious. "Someone's gotta clean the place, right?" She nodded, but she detected a lie in there somewhere. But, who was she to judge? She just met the guy. "Okay, Cisco from Star Labs. Got any hobbies?" she asked. They talked about anything and everything possible to pass the time. It turned out they were actually closer in age than she originally thought. And he seemed like a nice guy.

When the train finally came to a stop at the Central City station, they had fallen onto the topic of the numerous vigilantes popping up recently. "First the Hood, then the Streak," Krysten said, as she stepped off the train. "And now the Hood has a sidekick."

"There's plenty of spandex to go around," Cisco said, jokingly. "But, no, let's where leather." Krysten laughed at the joke as they walked into the station. "Do you have someone picking you up?" Cisco asked her. She shook her head as they neared the door. "No, I didn't have time to call ahead," she lied.

"I was just gonna call a cab. Want a ride?" he asked. They stopped on the sidewalk near the rode, outside the train station. Krysten slid her hands in her pockets, seeing as the night was very chilly. "Sure," she said, smiling. "That'd be great." Cisco smiled and pulled out his phone. He called a cab and when it arrived, they both got in. Krysten directed the cab driver to Iris's house, and they pulled to a stop by the curb, joust outside the house. "This is it," she said, unbuckling.

"Hey, um, maybe you'd want to go for coffee? I know this great coffee house," Cisco said. Krysten nodded. "Okay, sure," she said.

"Great. Should I call you?" he asked.

"I'll call you. I don't have my phone with me. What's your number?" she asked. She dug into her bag and pulled out her pad of paper and found a pen. "Three-One-two," he said, as she wrote. "Eight-Three-Six…Four-One-One-Two."

"Awesome. I'll call you," she said, stuffing the paper into her bag. "It was nice meeting you, Cisco.

"Nice meeting you, too, Krysten," he said, as she slid out of the taxi cab. She shut the door and the cab sped off. The lights in Iris's house were off, seeing as it was close to midnight. Krysten took a shaky breath, suddenly realizing how unrealistic her plan was. Outside in the cold, she felt the pain in her chest and she felt like crying. She swallowed it down and walked up the steps, onto the small porch. The porch light was off, while she knocked.

It was quiet, inside and outside, and she thought no one was home. She knocked a few more times, a little louder. Still nothing. She felt her eyes watering as she knocked a third time. Nothing happened, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. It didn't work. Tears trickled out of her eyes and she turned her back to the house. Suddenly, the porch light lit up and she quickly turned around as the door opened. Joe was standing at the door, in PJ pants and a T-shirt.

"Krysten? What are you doing here?" he asked. Krysten moved back to the door. "I'm sorry to bother you so late, Mr. West. But, Is Iris here? I really need to talk to her," she said. He glanced down at her duffle bag, saw the tears, and instantly knew something must have happened to her mother. His face filled with recognition and he sighed lightly, in a sympathetic way. "No, I'm sorry. She isn't here," he said. Krysten's face fell and she tried to hold it together. "Oh, okay," she said, crest fallen.

"Why don't you come inside and tell me what's happened?" he said.

"Really?" she asked.

"Only if you still like hot chocolate," he said. She tried to smile through the tears. "Come inside."


	2. Episode 2: Jitters

_**Episode 2: Jitters**_

Joe gave Krysten a steaming mug, where she sat on the couch. She took it gratefully and carefully sipped, as to not burn her tongue. Joe had a fire going in the fireplace, and he glanced at it once before sitting next to Krysten with a sigh. "So tell me what happened," he said. Krysten set the mug on the coffee table and sat back. "I got a call from the hospital," she started, her voice trembling. "They said that my mom died."

"Oh, Krysten," Joe said, with a sympathetic expression. "I'm so sorry. I know how much you loved her." Upstairs, Barry had heard noises and decided to see what was going on. He walked down the stairs, running a hand over his face groggily. "Joe, what's-" He stopped himself on the landing, words and motion, when he saw someone sitting on the couch next to Joe. It was girl, wearing a red jacket, her auburn hair glowing in the firelight. She looked familiar, but with the shadows it was hard to see who exactly she was.

"Barry, you remember Krysten, don't you?" Joe said.

"Krysten Carter?" Barry asked, in disbelief. "I thought you moved?" He walked down the rest of the stairs as Krysten spoke. "I did. But something came up," she said. Barry walked around the side of the couch and stood in the open space of the room. "What brings you back here?" he asked, crossing his arms. Krysten's face fell. "Her mother passed away this afternoon," Joe said, looking at Barry. "She came to talk to Iris."

"Oh, yeah, she doesn't live here anymore. She moved in with her boyfriend," Barry said, adding annoyed emphasis to the word 'boyfriend'. "Do you need a place to stay? Because, we have a spare room."

"No, no, that's okay," Krysten said, wiping at her eyes. "I don't want to intrude."

"You aren't intruding," Joe said. "Stay as long as you need. You are more than welcome."

"Thank you. Both of you. I know this must be awkward—me just showing up here in the middle of the night. I didn't know where else to go," Krysten confessed, timidly. Joe put a hand on her shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze with a small smile. "Barry, why don't you show her up to the guest room?" he said. Barry nodded. "Yeah, sure," Barry said. Krysten stood, grabbing her duffel off the floor, and then followed Barry up the stairs. He led her down the hall and to the last room on the right.

He opened the door and let her walk in first. "Casa De Krysten," he said, standing in the doorway. She tried to smile, dropping her duffel bag on the bed in the corner. "Look, I'm sorry about your mom. I know what that's like." Krysten nodded numbly, remembering when they were kids and Barry would rant and rave about the man in the lightning. "It's good seeing you again," Barry said, leaning into the door frame. "You look taller."

"Yeah, a whole two inches," Krysten said, nodded with fake enthusiasm.

"Wow, insane," Barry said, sarcastically, with a cheesy grin. Something about Barry's grin made Krysten chuckle. "Well, I'll let you get some sleep. We can go to Jitters and see Iris tomorrow, I mean, if you want."

"Yeah, that sounds great. Goodnight, Barry," Krysten said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Goodnight, Krysten," Barry said, shutting the door as he went. Barry went back downstairs, and Joe stood from the couch. Joe walked around the couch and met Barry at the base of the stairs. "This was definitely unexpected," Barry said, to which Joe nodded. "I didn't think she and Iris were still in touch."

"They aren't, as far as I know," Joe said.

"So why would she come here to see Iris?" Barry thought aloud. Joe shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "But let's try and get some sleep, and think it over in the morning." Barry nodded, and they headed up the stairs.

* * *

In the morning, after taking a shower, Krysten dressed in a pair of blue colored jean-leggings, a dark brown T-shirt that said 'Keep Calm and Shake It Off', sneakers, and her red jacket. She left her hair down, and went downstairs. "Good morning, Krysten," Barry said, from where he sat at the dining room table near the kitchen, smiling. She smiled back a little and Joe walked out from the kitchen carrying a pitcher of orange juice. "How'd you sleep?" he asked her.

"Good, thanks. I hope you don't mine, but I think I'm gonna skip out on breakfast," Krysten said.

"Oh, are you feeling alright?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, yeah fine. I just don't feel like food," she replied.

"I wish Barry didn't feel like food," Joe commented, walking back into the kitchen. Barry sat upright, looking slightly offended. "Hey, I burn a lot of calories on the job," he said, holding his hands up. "I can't help it." Krysten wished she could laugh, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. In fact, she felt rather depressed. "Wanna go see Iris?" Barry asked, getting up from his chair and walking to her. "Maybe it will, I don't know…cheer you up a bit."

Krysten nodded. "Sure, let's go," she said, glumly.

"Do you mind walking? I don't really have a car," he said, a bit awkwardly. She shook her head. "I'm fine walking," she said, as they headed for the door. They walked out of the house and down to steps, and then started down the sidewalk. Barry felt weird just walking. Normally he'd run. But he couldn't, not with Krysten there. Krysten crossed her arms as she walked, taking in the familiar scene of the city. It seemed to take forever to get there, but they finally arrived at Jitters.

Barry jumped around Krysten and grabbed the door, pulling it open and holding it for her to walk in. She mumbled a quick thank you and walked inside, and Barry followed in after. Iris was bringing coffees to a table when they walked in. She sat the coffees down to in front of their respective drinkers, and then headed back for the counter. "Hey, Iris," Barry called. Iris stopped and turned, and saw Krysten. Iris's face went from happy, to surprised, to curious, and then finally to excited upon seeing her best friend.

Iris hurried forward and Krysten met her halfway, both girls wrapping their arms around each other. "Oh my god!" Iris squealed. "I can't believe you're here!"

"It's good to see you, Iris," Krysten said, stepping back.

"Wait…why are you here? Did something happen?" Iris asked, quickly. Krysten's face fell and she nodded, biting her lower lip. "Oh god…Krysten, I'm so sorry." Iris pulled Krysten back into a rib-crushing hug. When Iris finally stepped back, she looked extremely sympathetic. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…I mean, no…I don't know. I think so, for the most part," Krysten stammered. Iris nodded. "Okay, um…here, come sit down. I'll get you a drink," Iris said, leading Krysten to a tall standing table. Krysten slid up into one of the tall chairs whilst Iris scurried for the counter. Barry walked over to the table, but stayed standing. "I'll let you two talk," he said.

"Okay. Thanks, Barry. I mean it," Krysten said. Barry nodded with a smile, not expecting her to be so polite. "Yeah, sure. Anytime," he said, before Krysten nodded and he left Jitters. A second later, Iris hurried back over to the table carrying two steaming mugs. "Large Caramel Latte with extra syrup and only half a shot of caffeine," Iris said, setting a large mug in front of Krysten. Iris sat in the chair opposite her. "Just the way you like it." Krysten stared at the coffee a minutes before looking up at Iris. "You remembered after all this time?" she asked, puzzled.

"Kind of hard to forget. You used to be the only customer to trip me up. You won gold on most complicated order," Iris said. Krysten stifled a small chuckle. "So, how did you get here?" Iris asked, after sipping her drink.

"I took a train. And, bonus, I got a guy's phone number. But, down side, I don't have my phone. I left it in Faucet City," Krysten said.

"How did you forget that?" Iris asked.

"I lent it to a girl at the station." Krysten took a sip of her Latte and nearly melted in her chair. "It's perfect, Iris." Iris smiled. "Of course it's perfect. I made it."


	3. Episode 3: Carjacked

**A/N: **OMG…I am truly speechless. Words cannot describe the intense feels I'm feeling from the HUGE amount of support I'm receiving for just TWO CHAPTERS! Thank you all so much! I love each and every one of you that reviewed, faved, followed, and read this story! It means so much.

_**Episode 3: Carjacked**_

Iris sighed, wishing there was something more she could do for her friend. She rested her hand on top of Krysten's and Krysten tried to smile. "It stings, but I'll be okay," she said, with an attempt at a reassuring nod. Iris nodded sympathetically. Then she had a thought. "You know what?" Iris said, causing Krysten to raise an eyebrow as she sipped her drink. "I think we need more cronuts." Krysten chuckled lightly and Iris slid from her chair, hurrying to the kitchen. After Iris was gone, Krysten sighed.

It was now dark outside the glass windows of Jitters. They'd been talking for hours and Krysten's eyes were dry and stung from all her crying. She squeezed them shut, trying to queue her eye to water. She rubbed at them a little just as Iris's cell phone rang on the table. A picture of Barry popped up on the screen and Krysten glanced at the kitchen, willing Iris to hurry up. When Iris didn't come back, Krysten answered the call. "Hey, Barry," she said, rubbing her temple where a headache was brewing.

"_Krysten? Where's Iris_?" he asked.

"Hello to you, too," she said, sassily. "Iris is busy at the moment, can I take a message?" She wasn't in the mood for being nice when she wanted to ring someone's neck, so she didn't bother with sugar coating. "What, Ferbie fuzzed your tongue?" she said, after a second of silence. She glanced up and saw Iris was coming back to the table with a plate of cronuts, and she sighed. "Iris's is now available. Please hold while I patch you through." She held the phone out to Iris as Iris neared the table.

"It's Barry," Krysten mouthed. Iris nodded and took the phone. "Hey, Barry. What's up?" she asked. She glanced at Krysten for a second and Krysten shrugged. "Yeah, I know...no...well, obviously. We've been at Jitters all day…okay, bye." Iris looked confused as she hung up the phone and sat down at their table. "Barry thinks you're acting weird," Iris said.

"I'm sure he does," Krysten rolled her eyes.

"Did I miss something?" Iris asked. Krysten shook her head. "Not that I know of," she lied. Suddenly Iris's face lit up as she looked past Krysten, towards the door. "Hey," she said, as a tall, blonde guy walked up to their table. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Iris," he said, smiling. "I thought I'd stop by and see you."

"Oh, Eddie, this is Krysten," Iris said, gesturing to Krysten, who was drinking her latte at the time. "Krysten this is my boyfriend Eddie. He's my dad's partner." Krysten swallowed her latte and sat the glass down, holding out a hand. "Nice to meet you Eddie," she said, as he shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you, too. I'm afraid Iris hasn't ever mentioned you…" he said, glancing at Iris for a second.

"Oh, yeah. Well, I do live in Faucet City. At least I did. Iris and I go way back," she said, trying to be nice.

"Really? So what brings you to Central City?" he asked.

"My mother passed away a couple days ago," she said.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," he said. Krysten nodded slowly, unsure of what to say next. "I think I'm gonna head home," Krysten said, looking at Iris.

"Oh, okay, are you sure? We don't close for another half hour," Iris said. Krysten nodded and stood, sliding on her jacket. "Yeah, but thanks Iris," she said, turning to walk to the door.

"Wait, you don't have a car," Iris said, standing. She walked to Krysten and Krysten sighed. "I can take her home," Eddie offered.

"Really?" Krysten asked. "You'd take a perfect stranger for a ride in your car? I could be a crazy axe murderer." He chuckled and Iris smiled. "I can see you're feeling better already," Iris said. "I'll see you later." Iris gave Krysten a nudge and Krysten sighed with a nod. "Fine, but if he turns up dead, I will say 'I told you so'," she said. Eddie showed her out to his car, parked just outside, and she got in the passenger seat. She was mostly concerned that _he_ was the axe murderer.

So she sat closer to the window and made sure not to get comfortable. But if Iris trusted this guy, how bad could he be? Then again, Iris didn't used to date nice guys. He started the car and drove into traffic. It was a quiet drive to Iris's house, more like _old_ house. But it didn't feel too awkward, and Krysten thanked god for that. She wasn't the type of person to do awkward. "So, I take it you know Barry?" Eddie suddenly said, startling her from her thoughts.

"Oh, yeah," she said, nodding.

"How did you and Iris meet?" he asked. Obviously, he was feeling the silence as awkward and needed something to talk about. Why couldn't they talk about New Year's plans? Or the fact that the year is almost over? He just had to pick this topic, a topic Krysten didn't like talking about much. Krysten was about to reply, when suddenly the car chugged to the side of the road. Eddie sighed frustratedly. "Really?" he asked the car. "We're out of gas." Krysten glanced around at the road they were on.

It was beside the ascended highway, on a one way stretch. Eddie sighed and exited the car. "Wha- no! Have you _not_ seen the movies?" Krysten asked. He gave her a look. "I'll be fine. I'm a detective with a gun. We're safe," he said, before shutting his door. Krysten huffed and got out as well. "I think we passed a gas station on the way here," she said, walking around the back of the car. She stood next to Eddie and zipped up her jacket. Crude laughter and feet scrapping on pavement caught her attention.

She looked left and saw two gangster looking guys, both dressed badly, and one held a bottle of something. "I guess we'll have to walk," Eddie said, oblivious to what Krysten was seeing. Keeping her eye on the guys as they approached, Krysten started to hit Eddie's arm until he paid attention to her. "Will you stop that? What?" he asked, turning to her. His eyes widened a little and he suddenly became alert. "Get in the car," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"Get. In. the. Car. _Now_," he said, trying to look like he wasn't talking. Krysten inched her way around the car as Eddie said, "Lock the doors." She nodded and slid into the passenger seat. She pressed down hard on the lock button and the car clicked. She twisted in her seat to see what was going on. Eddie walked to the back of the car as the guys came closer. They said things she couldn't hear, and then one swung at Eddie. Eddie didn't react in time and fell to the floor from the hit.

Krysten gasped and pushed open the door. "Eddie!" She rushed out and then stopped herself from getting too close. "Well, lookie here," one said. "He's got a girl with him. This could be fun after all." The other guy nodded in agreeance. Krysten's hand began to trembling and at the last second, she turned and darted away. She got several yards. But they caught up to her. "Where do you think you're going?" one of them grabbed her, stopping her, and she gasped in fear.

He put his arms around her and dragged her back to the car, Krysten thrashing against him the whole way. To no avail. Eddie groaned on the pavement, looking up. He saw that they had Krysten and panicked. "Let her go!" he said, trying to get up. The other guy came over and slammed his foot into Eddie's side, saying, "Not before we have our fun."

"What you think, princess?" the first one asked Krysten, tightening his hold on her. "Should we do it right here, or would you prefer-" Before he could finish, a red flash and a gust of wind caused Krysten to close her eyes as the guy holding her flew backwards. The other guy, still standing, freaked. "What the hell?" He reached down and grabbed Eddie's gun, then aimed it at Krysten. Before she could react, or even know what was going on, a bullet pierced Krysten's right side, in her abdomen. She cried out as it did, clutching the wound.

The red flash came back, knocking the last guy to the ground. Krysten tried to focus through the pain. She saw that a man was the red flash. Clad in red from head to toe, a mask covering his face. He knelt to check on Eddie and Krysten fell into the side of the car, unable to keep herself upright as the blood drained from her body. The man in red, Barry, heard the thumping noise her action made and looked up. He saw her and his eyes widened. She'd been shot.

He quickly stood and went to her. "Oh my god," she said, looking down at the blood. "I was shot?" She could hardly focus and she was light-headed from the sudden blood loss. She slid sideways and fell, but Barry caught her and picked her up bridal style. Her head lulled onto his shoulder and he glanced at Eddie. "Guys, I'm coming back with a girl, she's been shot," Barry said, into his mic. He lurched into super speed, headed for Star Labs.


	4. Episode 4: In A Flash

_**Episode 4: In A Flash**_

Barry slid to a stop inside the main room in Star Labs. "Lay her here," Caitlin directed Barry to the hospital bed against the wall, and he quickly carried the now unconscious Krysten in his arms over. He put her on the bed as gently as he could and stepped back, giving Caitlin space to work. "Why didn't you take her to a hospital, Barry?" Wells asked, driving over in his chair. Barry looked frazzled.

Even though she mainly spent time with Iris, Krysten was Barry's friend, too. Barry honestly didn't know why he didn't bring her to a hospital. He probably should have. "It was the closest place," he lied, with a shrug. Dr. Wells knew that probably wasn't the answer, but he let it slide, keeping his mouth shut. Caitlin was able to get the bleeding stopped, and she began sewing up the wound.

Barry held up a camping flashlight to give her some extra light. "She's gonna be okay, right?" Barry asked, looking at Caitlin.

"Yes. She should be," Caitlin answered, focused. "It was a clean wound, and she hadn't lost too much blood." Her hands worked with expert precision to sew up the wound. The needle and thread went in and out, in and out—until the two sides of skin were secure. Then, she placed a gauze pad over the stiches and wrapped medical wrapping around Krysten's middle and bandage. It might have seemed easy, but only because of Caitlin's experience. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened.

Caitlin set up a blood drip next to the bed, and a vital signs monitor. Barry changed into civilian clothes and came back to the main room. He was surprised to see how much Caitlin had accomplished in a short amount of time, but didn't say anything. "The blood drip should help," Caitlin said, as Barry walked over to her.

"When will she wake up?" Barry asked.

"Not until the morning," she said.

"You should go home, get some rest," Dr. Wells suggested, as he drove into the room from the hall. Barry twisted to see Wells, and shook his head. "No way. I'm staying here," he said.

"I understand she's a close friend of yours?" Wells asked, stopping his chair a few feet from Barry. Barry nodded, then turned back to look at Krysten, loosely crossing his arms over his chest. "We grew up together," he said. "She was always hanging out with Iris before she moved." Dr. Wells nodded as he listened. Caitlin floated around the room, doing random things to get the building shutdown and ready for them to go home. "Who is she?" Wells asked. "I only ask because, well, with her being here, her family will notice her absence."

"Krysten Carter. She doesn't really have family—not besides me, Iris, and Joe," Barry said.

"Good. That will be one less thing that needs explaining," Dr. Wells said. "Good night, Barry." Wells turned his chair and headed for the door. "Good night, Dr. Wells," Barry replied, as Wells left the room. Barry pulled over one of the rolling office chair and sat beside the bed. He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. It was late at night, and it would be hard to get to sleep.

Over the night hours, Barry tried to stay awake. But he eventually dozed off. Krysten woke with a hard startle, eliciting a pain in her right side. "_Shit_," she hissed, wincing. Barry jolted awake, nearly clumsily tumbling out of his chair. It startled Krysten, and Barry quickly sat upright as she stared at him with wide eyes. "Barry?" she asked.

"You're awake," Barry realized.

"Where am I?" she asked, suddenly becoming very aware of her surroundings. Light poured in from windows, causing her to squint a bit. She found she was lying on some kind of hospital-like bed, and there was an IV in her arm. Unknown to Krysten, changes were already taking place within her body on a cellular level, thanks to Barry's blood, the blood used for the drip. "Oh, um, you're at Star Labs," Barry said, trying not to seem conspicuous.

"Star labs?" Krysten furrowed her brow in confusion. "That makes no sense." She glanced down at the blood drip's needle, lodged in her arm. She wrapped her shaking fingers around it and pulled. A small bit of blood trickled out as she did, and she tossed it to the side. "Whoa, take it easy," Barry stood as she tried to sit up, holding her back by her shoulders. "Do you remember anything about last night?"

Krysten settled back down, and Barry sat. "Sort of. It's kind of fuzzy," she said.

"You were shot? During a carjacking?" Barry said.

"Right...I was with Eddie and...Oh god, where's Eddie? Is he okay?" she shot up to sit, nearly ripping her stitches. She cursed under her breath and Barry quickly stood again. He sighed. "You have to take it easy, Krysten," he said. She nodded, holding her side. "Wait a second-" she paused, and then looked up at Barry. "Why are we in Star Labs? It's supposed to be shut down."

"That it is," She startled at the sound of a sudden voice from the left. Dr. Wells drove into the room and stopped a few feet from the bed. "Hello, Krysten," he said.

"Krysten, this is Dr. Wells," Barry introduced.

"_Dr. Harrison Wells_?" Krysten glanced at Barry in excited shock. Barry nodded, smiling cheesily at her newfound excitement. She'd been a fan of Dr. Wells for a while now. She thought his work with the Particle Accelerator was brilliant. It was hard to believe that he was in the same room as her. "Wow..." was all she could say.

"She's kind of a fan," Barry said, and Wells smiled.

"I see," Wells said.

"Sorry, you must think I'm weird," Krysten said, snapping out of her trance, blushing.

"Not in the slightest," Wells smiled. "I'm flattered."

"Maybe one of you smart guys could explain to me why I'm here, then?" she asked, glancing between Wells and Barry. Dr. Wells looked at Barry, and Barry looked back at Dr. Wells. Wells gave Barry an 'it's your secret' look, and then drove into the next room. Krysten raised an eyebrow at Barry expectantly. "Barry?" she prodded.

He sighed indecisively. "Krysten...do you remember anything _else_ from last night?"

"You mean, like, that streak guy?" she asked, rhetorically. "Yeah, I remember that." Barry inwardly panicked. She obviously knew something. He knew she knew. But openly saying it to her was hard. He had to act like she didn't know anything specific. Just then, both Caitlin and Cisco entered the room. Cisco made a grimacing expression and rotated to walk back out the door. Caitlin sighed, grabbing his arm, and dragged him over with her. "Krysten, this is Caitlin and-"

"Cisco," Krysten said, with a smirk.

"Caitlin was the one that patched you up," Barry said.

"Then I guess I should thank you," Krysten said, giving Caitlin a polite smile.

Caitlin smiled back. "It was my pleasure," she said. "So, how do you know Cisco?"

"We met on the train from Faucet City," Krysten said, once again giving Cisco a pissed-but-understanding look. It was her signature "I know what you did last summer" look. Cisco smiled sheepishly with an awkward chuckle. He glanced at Barry, and Barry shook his head. Cisco inwardly sighed in relief, but outwardly smiled with a nod. "Not that I don't enjoy hanging with you guys, but when can I go home?" Krysten asked, looking at Caitlin.

"Oh, you can go home as soon as your blood levels are normal. I'll check them now," she said. Caitlin hurried away to get a syringe kit. Krysten grimaced at the thought of using needles. "Crap," she mumbled, absentmindedly rubbing her arm. Barry noticed this and raised an eyebrow. "What's up?" he asked.

"Um...well, you see, I-I don't really have a good history with needles," she explained, nervously. It dawned on him visibly just as Caitlin reappeared with the syringe kit. Krysten's heart rate picked up a little on the monitor and she took a few deep breaths. "Okay, this will just be a little pinch," Caitlin said, prodding for the vein in Krysten's arm. Krysten nodded with a tight-lipped smile and a short nod. Needing to act quickly, Barry slid his hand in Krysten's just before the needle enter her skin.

Krysten squeezed his hand at the hot prickle of the needle. She looked away, unable to watch without wanting to throw up. Caitlin drew out just enough blood and then retracted the needle. "There. All done. I'll check these for any changes, but go ahead and get dressed, okay?" Caitlin said.

"Okay. Thank you," Krysten said, as Caitlin placed a band aid over the needle hole. Just then, it dawned on Krysten that she was in different clothes—a pair of sweats and a wide sports bra, the one she was wearing last night. Felling a little exposed, she crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at Barry. "Is there a shirt somewhere I could wear?" she asked.

"What? Oh- oh! Yeah, one sec," he stood and quickly left the room. Cisco cleared his throat from where he stood a few feet away from Krysten's bed. "Are you thirsty? Or hungry? I could get you something," he offered.

"Oh, no, thank you. I'm okay," she said, with a small smile. "Sorry I haven't called."

"Eh," Cisco waved it away. "Don't worry about it. You—obviously—had other things going on." Krysten chuckled a little at his words. Just then, Barry returned with a Star Labs T-shirt for her to wear. "Thank you," she said, taking the shirt from Barry. She carefully slid her arms through the arm holes and then pulled it over her head, wincing as she pulled it over her chest. She bit her lip through the pain.

Krysten just wanted to hurry up and go home. And pain would only slow her down.


	5. Episode 5: Unstable

_**Episode 5: Unstable**_

Kristen took every step carefully, strategically planning out how much weight to put on her heel versus her toes, keeping her left hand firmly against her injured side to steady herself. Barry led the way to Jitters, holding the door for her to enter. She smiled slightly as she passed him and walked into the building. As soon as she did, Iris—sitting at a table a few feet away with Eddie—leapt from her seat and rushed toward her. "Oh my god!" Iris gasped.

She slammed into Kristen. Kristen's side instantly screamed in pain but she swallowed it, trying to focus on hugging her friend. "Where have you been?" Iris questioned, worriedly, as she stepped back an inch. Kristen quickly glanced at Barry to her left, her mind scrambling. Barry spoke up first. "Someone took her to a nearby neighborhood and...dropped her off at someone's house," he stumbled through, trying not to sound awkward.

"Yeah, and when I woke up, the nice woman living there said she was a doctor," Kristen added. Iris glanced between them a second. She knew something was weird about their words. "Why weren't you taken to a hospital?" Iris thought aloud.

"I guess the house was closer?" Kristen hypothesized, realizing she too didn't know why she didn't wake up in a hospital. Iris still didn't understand it, nor did her curiosity fade. But she filed it away and ushered Kristen toward her table with Eddie. Eddie stood as they approached and sighed in relief. "Oh, thank god. I thought I was going to have to tell Iris that I lost you," he said. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she shook her head a little, waving it away.

"That's great. How did_ you_ know where she was, Barry?" Eddie asked, looking to Barry. Iris also turned slightly to look at him questioningly, wanting to know the same. Kristen's side started to ache, so she sat in the empty seat at the table to get off her feet, but still be able to listen in. Barry looked around at the faces staring at him and internally screamed.

How was he supposed to fake his way through _this_? He tried to think of a viable reason, some sort of excuse that didn't sound like an excuse. Something that didn't sound planned or thought up on the fly. So he swallowed hard and threw out the one that sounded the best in his head. "Um, she called me—the woman, at the house," he explained, visibly hesitant. Kristen looked then to Iris, waiting for some kind of outward reaction to let her know she didn't believe it.

But it never came. Kristen raised an eyebrow, quickly wiping it away when Iris turned to her and Eddie. "Well, all that matters is that you're both safe and here with us," she said, sounding relieved. "We should celebrate. We need drinks! It's on the house." Iris smiled at everyone in turn and then hurried off to the front counter. Kristen leaned into the table on her forearm, suddenly feeling a bit lightheaded. Her stomach churned and she momentarily closed her eyes.

Eddie noticed her odd behavior and stepped over by the table with a concerned expression. "Kristen, are you alright?" he asked. The words caught Barry's attention, stealing it from a bubbling Iris at the front counter. His eyes quickly scanned Kristen. She didn't look too good. "I'm fine, just a little dizzy," Kristen answered, reopening her eyes.

"Are you sure? You don't look very well," Eddie persisted. Kristen opened her mouth to answer, but her words never came. Her eyes fluttered closed as she slipped from the chair. Barry fought the instinct to use his speed as he dove to catch her. He managed to nab her just in time before her head could touch the ground. Iris ran back over from the counter and knelt beside Kristen, limp in Barry's arms. "Oh my god, what happened?" she asked, panicked.

"I don't know, she just passed out," Barry shook his head, unknowing.

"Someone call an ambulance!" Iris shouted, as customers rubber-necked to see the ordeal. Paramedics arrived shortly. They loaded Kristen in the back of their ambulance and started for Central City General. Her pulse was week, her breathing shallow. But the thing going on people couldn't see was keeping her asleep.

Iris, Eddie, and Barry all followed closely behind the ambulance in Eddie's car. "I don't understand," Iris said, overflowing with panicked concern in the passenger seat. "Why would she just pass out like that?"

"I don't know. She was fine when we left St- er, the house," Barry corrected himself mid-sentence. He quickly looked at Iris in the rear view mirror. She was too concerned to notice the slip, and Barry sighed a little in relief. "How badly was she hurt? Did the doctor say?" Eddie asked, looking back at Barry, leaning slightly between the seats. The ambulance in front of them sped through a red light, and they sped right through behind it.

Barry swallowed. "Well, she was shot," he confessed.

"What?!" Iris twisted in her seat to see Barry, and his eyes widened slightly at the intense look on her face. "She was shot and no one thought that it was a good idea to take her to a _real _hospital?!" Barry's mind scrambled, trying to think of a reason. But inwardly he was cursing himself for not making Kristen stay at Star Labs just a bit longer, just long enough to foresee this kind of thing happening sooner.

"She was persistent!" Barry said, just before Eddie swerved around a corner into the hospital parking, nearly sending both Iris and Barry into their respective windows. He stomped on the brakes in a parking spot near the emergency entrance, causing the whole car to lurch back and forth. The ambulance's back doors swung open and the paramedics moved quickly to pull Kristen out of the back.

They brought her gurney up to normal height and rushed her in through the sliding glass doors. Iris immediately unclipped her seatbelt and ran for the doors across the emergency driveway. Barry unfolded himself out of the small backseat and hurried behind her, Eddie pulling up the rear behind him. As Iris made it into the building, they'd just wheeled Kristen behind the 'Do Not Enter' doors.

She felt deflated, skidding to a stop before she could run into them, and watched her friend disappear around a corner through the small window in the door. The doctors hurried to get Kristen into a room, lifting her onto a bed, and then opening her shirt to find the opened gunshot wound. Eddie put his hand on Iris's shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry. She's in good hands," he tried to assure.

Iris was angry. She was furious. She whirled around and marched toward Barry. "Why didn't you take her to a hospital?" she questioned, her venom slipping into her tone.

"You know how she is, Iris! I tried!" Barry defended, knowing it wasn't enough.

"That's not good enough, Barry," Iris shook her head. She turned and ambled over to a small waiting room beside the doors, then threw her weight into a chair, dropping her head into her hands. Barry exhaled through his nostrils, willing himself to stay together.

_Kristen's eyes shot open, and she lurched into a sitting position. Her whole body shook with jitters. It felt like she'd drunk thirteen Red Bulls. Her eyes widened as she looked around. She lay in a field of green grass that surrounded a small lake. The scene looked familiar, but she couldn't tell why._

_Last thing she remembered, she was sitting on a chair at Jitters. And now she's sitting on grass in the middle of nowhere? She rolled onto her side and pushed herself to her feet, trying to better survey the area. "Where the hell am I?" she thought aloud. Just then, a sharp pain shot through her skull. Her hands instantly gripped her scalp and she squeezed her eyes closed. The pain suddenly worsened, and she screamed, dropping to her knees._

The pulse monitor and various alarms wailed. "She's crashing!" a nurse alerted. The doctor—Dr. Fletcher—quickly directed a nurse over. "Hold this here—don't let it go," he instructed, handing off a clamp to the nurse. She nodded and held onto it, while Dr. Fletcher worked to find the source of bleeding.

He'd guessed there was some kind of tear somewhere, causing excessive bleeding. But he couldn't find one. He couldn't find anything that would cause this. "Crash cart!" he shouted over the noise of the machines. Two nurses pushed in the cart and Dr. Fletcher removed any metal objects. He grabbed the pedals and charged the machine. "Clear!"

Barry's foot tapped quickly on the carpeted flooring of the waiting room. He glanced over at Iris, only to find her in the same position, staring at the wall. So he sighed and settled back into his chair, slouching a bit. "Hey," Joe said, walking over to sit beside Iris. "Any word?"

Iris shook her head, not looking up. Joe turned to Barry. "How bad is it?"

"I don't know...bad," Barry said, unsure of what else to say. Everyone's heads shot up as a doctor, in pale blue scrubs and a mesh head cap in a matching color, came from the doors. He headed straight for the waiting area, stopping at the edge. "Are you all family?" he asked.

Iris shot to her feet with a nod, and Eddie and Joe joined her side. "How is she?" she asked.

"We managed to stabilize her, for now. But her body is still in a gentle state," Dr. Fletcher explained. "She hasn't woken up yet, but you're welcome to come back and sit with her." Iris, Joe, Eddie, and Barry all followed Dr. Fletcher through the doors and down the hall until they reached room 133.

Kristen was alone in the room, lying in a hospital bed by the far wall window. Iris hurried to her side and took her hand. "I'll give you some space," Dr. Fletcher said. Joe nodded to him in thanks and he slipped out, leaving them alone with Kristen. Barry walked around the bed to the opposite side as Iris and sat in the plush chair against the wall. He could tell it was going to be a long day, so he made himself comfortable.


	6. Episode 6: Start The Clock

**A/N:** hahahahaha you all thought I wasn't coming back

* * *

_**Episode 6: Start The Clock**_

Iris sat right at Krysten's bedside, not letting go of her limp hand for even a second. It hurt to see Krysten like this. Especially when she'd just gotten her back into her life. Barry adjusted his position in the chair and looked up at the clock. 3:00 PM. They'd been here for almost four hours, and there was still no change. Barry sighed lightly and settled back into his seat, moving only slightly to better see Krysten. He couldn't help feeling like this was all on him.

All of this could've been avoided. But he panicked, and he made the wrong choice, and now Krysten's in the hospital—where she probably should've been this whole time. _At least_, he thought, _if she had been, maybe she'd be better by now?_ A sudden jolt ran up his spine as the sound of machine beeping caught his attention. The beeping was more rather a hard thumping than any kind of beep. They were strong pulses. Iris glanced at Barry. "What does that mean?" she asked.

He shook his head, watching the green lines on the heart monitor dance up and down. "I don't know. Maybe it's something good?" He tried to sound hopeful. Krysten stirred and Iris sucked in a breath, sitting forward in her seat. "I feel like I've been hit by a _freaking truck_," Krysten mumbled, easing her eyes open to slits. Barry let out the breath he'd been holding on an airy chuckle. "Don't tell you guys have been waiting here forever."

"Where else would I be?" Iris smiled.

"Not breaking your back- I mean, those chairs will fuck you up," Krysten rambled. "I'm not kidding. Hospital furniture _sucks_." Iris sighed, expecting this behavior. It was odd coming from Krysten. But Iris knew Krysten too well not to know what was going on. "Well, _humor_ is a sign of good health," Barry commented, smiling cheesily at Krysten's words.

"I think she's a little loopy from the _sedatives_," Iris said, giving Krysten a look. Krysten paused a beat, thinking. Then she screwed up her nose, saying, "Why do you think that?"

"Because you swear like a sailor when you're half asleep," Iris explained, lecturously, and Krysten grumbled a bit. "Remember my slumber party, tenth grade?" Krysten put a hand over her eyes in embarrassment with a groan. "Oh, please, no," she pleaded. Barry chuckled, glancing between them. He raised an eyebrow. "What happened at the slumber party?" he asked, curiously.

Ignoring Krysten's wishes, Iris smiled as she retold the humorous tale. "So, I invited a handful of friends over from school, right? We're all in our sleeping bags trying to go to sleep when there's the mother of all f-bombs from the other side of the room," she recounted. "I look over and I see Krysten, still in her sleeping bag, having a conversation..._with the wall_."

"Oh god," Krysten was completely embarrassed.

"How come_ I_ never heard any of this?" Barry asked, trying not to laugh, mostly for Krysten's benefit. Krysten dropped her hand to her side and glared at Iris pointedly. "Because _someone _promised not to tell _people_," she forced through gritted teeth. "And _someone_ is now on my shit list." She lolled her head to the side to mildly glare at Iris, and Iris just smiled, amused. She was too relieved to have her best friend back to care.

* * *

Krysten's fingers typed quickly on her laptop keyboard, clicking with her track pad, only taking a second-long break to reach for her tea on the nightstand. As she did, her arm outstretched, a muscle tugged just right at her stitches. She hissed with a cringe but continued on for the mug. It was only a few inches out of reach. Just a little farther and she would have it. Her fingers stretched desperately, almost there. Finally she managed to get her hand around the warm ceramic.

With a relieved exhale, she pulled the mug over and held it up to her lips to take a drink. A sudden knock on the bedroom door startled her a bit, causing a mild jolt, and she sighed. "Come in," she answered, not looking up from the computer screen. Barry cleared his throat and pushed open the door, taking a slow step inside. "Hey," he said, shutting the door behind him. The room was mostly darkened, with the drapes across the only window in the room.

No light in the room except that which came from the laptop. It lit up Krysten's face, casting shadows. She glanced up with only her eyes. "Hey," she immediately minimized her search window and slid the computer off her lap. Nudging over just slightly, she patted the space to her left, near the edge of the bed. "What brings you in? Did Iris send you?"

He smiled lightly, walking over to the bed. "No, no…I just wanted to see how you were doing." He gently sat beside her, leaving a few inches between them. Krysten held the warm mug of tea in her lap, keeping her arms along her legs. "So, how are you?" he asked, genuinely.

Krysten just watched him a moment, thinking. Then she looked down at the mug. "Physically or mentally?"

"Both," Barry answered, with a bob of his head.

She sighed. "I don't know," she shook her head, looking back up at him. "Alright, considering. I just…I have so many questions, you know? Like, out of all the people in the city that could be in trouble, why would The Streak save me? Why was I taken to Star Labs and not a hospital? Why did this all even happen?" He nodded in understanding, feeling a bit helpless inside. And not to mention ultimately responsible. Krysten sighed and reached to put the mug back.

It wasn't as bad as trying to get the mug In the first place, but her side still tugged, causing a slight twinge of pain. It showed on her face. Barry noticed it instantly. "You okay?" he asked, quickly. She sat in her original position on the bed and nodded, inhaling. "Yeah, it's nothing," she waved it away.

"That wasn't nothing," he shook his head, calling her bluff.

She gave him a look. "I have meds for a reason, Barry."

"Well, it doesn't look like you're taking them," he pointed out, innocently. She made an annoyed growl of a sound and grabbed the pill bottle lying somewhat in her general vicinity on the bed. Twisting the cap hard to bypass the safety lock, she shook two blue pills into her palm. She held them up in a gesture to show Barry in a _see?_ motion. He rolled his eyes and she downed the pills. "There. Happy?"

"You're ridiculous," he stated.

Krysten pointed to herself a second with raised brows. "_I'm_ ridiculous? _You're_ the one who still hasn't told anyone why I ended up in Star Labs instead of a hospital—including me."

He sighed heavily. "Krysten, it's just not that simple."

"Then make it simple. Dumb it down enough for us mere mortals to understand," she said, getting agitated, leaning forward an inch while she spoke. "Just tell me! I deserve to know, don't you think? After all, I did almost die." Barry paused. It would be so easy. Just tell her the whole truth and nothing but the truth and then she would understand. She would understand _everything_. But he couldn't do that.

He wouldn't be able to handle yet another person knowing he was the streak. And he would never be able to live with himself if she found out and something happened to her because of it. So he shook his head, exhaling through his nose. "I'm sorry…I can't," he said, apologetically. Her shoulders dropped for a second.

But then they squared and she inhaled, holding her chin up. "Fine. Don't tell me. But I'm going to find answers—with or without you—and you may not like what I find.


	7. Episode 7: Strange Frequencies

_**Episode 7: Strange Frequencies**_

Krysten blew air through her pursed lips, causing a bubbling sound of boredom. The point of being at Jitters while Iris was working was so that Krysten could get out and see the city while still somewhat recuperating, and at the same time Iris could keep an eye on her. But it was increasingly boring for Krysten. There was only so much a girl could do at a coffee shop. She had already ordered at least four Caramel Lattes.

She couldn't even remember the exact number—they were starting to blur together into a Jackson Pollock painting of caffeine. So she just sat there listening to whatever pop song they decided to play over the speakers, occasionally glancing up at the news station on the tv mounted to the wall, lazily flipping through a magazine. The urge to use the bathroom arose, so she slid from the stool. She looked over behind the counter.

Iris seemed busy, but she flagged her down anyway. "Bathroom," Krysten said, jutting her thumb toward the back of the coffee shop. Iris nodded with a thumb up and Krysten headed off to the ladies room. Mostly it was just an excuse to run her face in cold water. She needed something else to do, as well. After using a stall, she checked the other to double check—make sure she was alone. Then she stepped up to the sink.

Her fingers quickly flicked on the water and she squirted on some soap. There was a speaker in the bathroom so she could still listen to whatever was playing at the time. It sounded like The Civil Wars to her but she couldn't quite place the melody. Once she washed she splashed some of the water on her face. The cold felt nice, considering she felt a headache brewing between her eyes. It wasn't painful, but it was pressure, pushing and pushing.

It made her skin feel too small. She scrubbed her face with her hands and let out a grumbling sigh before walking across the bathroom to the towel dispenser. She grabbed a handful and then walked back to the sink she used. She used the paper towel wad to dry her face gently, letting the paper linger a moment. Suddenly her eyes felt tired. Like she hadn't slept in a week. She was able to pull herself out of her trance long enough to fishing drying up.

Then she looked up and her whole body locked in place. Her eyes rounded. The mirror in front of her wasn't showing any of her. It didn't reflect her image. She shook her head a little, in shock. It had to be fake—a prank, even. There was no way it could be real. Right?

"What the fuck?"

She leaned forward and waved her hand in front of the glass. Nothing happened. All she saw was the bathroom stall behind her. Startled, she jolted back two steps. Maybe her medication was causing hallucinations? She stared at the broken mirror in front of her. Why wasn't it working? What had she done to it? She moved forward again, her front against the edge of the counter, staring hard at the mirror, convinced she was missing something.

Suddenly the lights in the bathroom hummed, dimming and brightening twice in a quick beat. It wasn't the lights that scared her. It was what she saw in the mirror. After the first dim of the lights, she saw only parts of her body in the mirror and, when they brightened again, she saw nothing. It happened again during the second dim and brighten, and that's when she heard a scream. But it was coming from Krysten.

Her heart was in her throat and yet she managed to let out a blood curdling scream. She breathed quickly, her chest heaving to keep up, and she practically ran backward until her back hit the bathroom stall door. The lights dimmed and brightened but, this time, different parts of her were visible. It made for an unnerving appearance that only worsened the situation. She screamed again, moving quickly to cover her eyes with her hands.

Inside, she knew it was all fake. It was just some stupid prank some loser was playing on her. But it looked so real. Her heart was beating faster than a rabbit's from the adrenaline and her hands shook violently against her tightly shut eyelids. Her knees buckled and she slid down the stall door until she stopped at the tile floor. "Krysten? Krysten! Krysten, what's wrong?" Iris has burst into the bathroom.

She quickly knelt beside Krysten on the floor. A couple random people from the coffee shop had come to see what was wrong along with Iris, but they left the second they saw it was nothing to worry about. No one looked hurt or dying so they didn't need to stick around. Iris grabbed Krysten's wrists and forcefully pried them away. "Krysten, _what_ happened?" she asked, increasingly worried.

Krysten leaned into Iris and Iris wrapped her arms around her. Krysten looked like a bundle of nerves about ready to explode, trembling and almost to the point of sobbing out a pure fear and adrenaline. Iris knew then she wouldn't get anything out of her. So she held her tightly and stroked her hair. "Shhh, it's okay," she said, in a soft voice repetitively. "It's okay- I'm here. You're safe."

* * *

Iris ran her hands up her face and through her hair with a tired sigh. She sat in a chair near the fireplace while Krysten lay across the couch of the living room, asleep, with a blanket draped over her. Just then, Barry entered the house with Joe right behind him. "What hap-"

"_SHHH_!" Iris shot up, holding her hands up to stop them. Both men froze and Iris lowered her voice. "She's sleeping. It took three shots of night time cold medicine to get her down." Joe carefully closed the front door and turned to Iris, stepping down into the living area. "What happened?" he asked, whispering.

Iris crossed her arms, glancing at Krysten's still form. "I don't know—not exactly. She went to the bathroom alone and I thought nothing of it," Iris whispered back. "Then I heard this…this hellish scream. When I got there she was on the floor, back against the wall, shaking like an earthquake…it wasn't good."

"Did she say anything to you?" Barry asked, concerned.

"No. It was all I could do just to get her home," Iris shook her head. It was so perplexing. The three of them had no idea what had gone down in that bathroom. "Was she alone?" Joe asked. "Did you see anyone suspicious around, maybe leaving the bathroom?"

Again, Iris shook her head. "When I found her she was alone."

"Then what the hell happened?" Joe asked, to no one in particular.

* * *

Krysten slept for several hours. When she woke, she was in the spare bedroom at Iris's. She paused. How did she get there? She looked down. Her clothes were the same—a baggy, loose sweatshirt and black jeans. But her shoes were tucked neatly beside the nightstand and her cell phone was atop it. Someone had obviously put her there. Then it came back.

The bathroom, the spooky mirror trick, how unnerving the version of her looked in the glass. It had to all of been fake. She pushed off the covers and pulled herself up to sit. Her side sent a pang of heat up her spine and she paused a second to ride it out, closing her eyes. It passed in a moment and she was able to push herself out of bed. She waddled to the bathroom and flicked on the light switch. But she paused halfway to the sink.

Eyeing the mirror, she waited a moment. What if it happened again? Was that even possible? Only one way to find out. Slowly, step-by-step, she edged in front of the mirror. She sighed in relief when her entire body shown on the glass panel. It was a huge weight flooding from her shoulders. She took the newfound confidence and hurried to the shower. She turned on the water and went to get new clothes. Something caught her eye at the sink.

Her feet stopped her and she turned. Eyes rounding, her hand clapped over her mouth. A knock at the bedroom door startled her. "Krysten?" Barry's voice filtered in. "You awake?" Krysten quickly turned off the shower water and raced to the door. She flung it open and Barry stood upright. "Hey, I was just- whoa-" She grabbed Barry's arm and yanked him into the room. She dragged him to the bathroom and let him go in front of the mirror.

Still she was not visible in it. No reflection. Barry looked at her weirdly. "Krysten, what-?"

"Look at it," she shoved her finger at the mirror. "What do you see?"

He turned and froze. His eyebrows knitted together and he hunched slightly, almost doing a double take, staring hard. The only person showing up in the mirror was him. He couldn't see Krysten at all. "What the hell, Krysten? What did you do?" Barry asked, completely mind-blown, turning to look at her.

"_I_ did not do this," she defended, flinging a hand toward the glass. "It happened at Jitters, in the bathroom."

A pressure ebbed in between Krysten's eyes and she let them close a minute, trying to ride out the headache. Suddenly the light in the bathroom flickered and her eyes snapped open. "Oh…oh no," she shook her head and started shoving. Barry had no idea what she was doing. She forced him out of the bathroom with her and slammed the door shut behind them. "Krysten, what aren't you telling me?" he questioned.

Her chest heaved, almost panicking. She shook her head quickly. "I don't know what's going on! I didn't do anything—it's just happening!"

Barry's eyes rounded as he stared at her. Or what was supposed to be her. Where she used to stand was just a door. He couldn't see her anymore. Somehow she'd managed to completely disappear right before his eyes. Krysten raised an eyebrow. "Barry!"

"Where did you go?" he asked, in disbelief. "I can't see you."

Krysten's eyes widened. "WHAT?"

"I can't see you! You were just there. I'm not making this up." Krysten squeezed her eyes shut tightly and tried to take deep breaths. None of this could be real. None of it. It was all just a bad dream and she would wake up from it sooner or later. "This isn't real," she whispered to herself, shaking her head. "This isn't real."

"Krysten, hey-" Barry reached for her but hit door. So he moved left until his hand landed on skin. It felt like a wrist. "I'm here, okay? Just…stay calm. We can figure this out."

"_How_?" she croaked, with wet cheeks.

He thought a second, trying to act quickly. He could tell she was about to panic hard—like she did at Jitters. Just the tone to her voice screamed extreme fear. Who _wouldn't_ lose their mind in a situation like this? Krysten may seem tough, but really she scares quite easily. "Just hold my hand," he finally said. He could instantly feel her hand latching onto his. "Don't let go, alright? I'm right here with you."

"Barry…I'm scared. What's happening to me?"

He shook his head. "I don't know—but we're gonna fix it."

She was unbelieving, too scared to really think it through. But right before his eyes, he could see her again, slowly coming into view right where she was before. Then he could see she was crying and he instantly pulled her into his arms. She was surprised a second. "You can see me?" she asked, hopeful.

"Yeah, I can see you," he nodded, relieved. She closed her eyes, holding onto him tightly. "We're gonna fix this. We just need to go to Star Labs."


End file.
